Look Upon My Works
by toxinvictoria
Summary: A ritual interrupted throws Jade Chan into a whole new world. A existence of Pirates, Marines and Dreams. As the Golden Age of Pirates plays out Jade will have to rise to the challenge to survive. Planned to be Epic in length and hopefully epic in other ways. A Project Dark Jade Story. NOT Jade X Crocodile!
1. Prologue: Six Realms Prison Break

**I don't own Jackie Chan Adventures or One Piece. Wish I did but that's irrelevant. This story is a part of Project Dark Jade and has been developed with help from Project Co Founder and inspirational writer Eduard Kassel. If you haven't read his work go and do so**

 **So after several years absence from posting on this site , during which I improved my skills as a writer on such sites as Spacebattles and Sufficient Velocity, I am back to take another crack at it.**

 **Title art here: : / toxinvictoria. deviantart art/ Title - Look - Upon - My -Works - 690406373**

 **Prologue: Six Realms Prison Break.**

" _My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare the lone and level sands stretch far away."_

\- Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Jade Chan, niece of Jackie Chan, grand niece of Uncle and heroine in-training hopped out of the the Section 13 helicopter behind Jackie, Uncle and Tohru but before Captain Black and his mob of agents.

They were on a small island off the northern tip of Australia. A popular local for vacationers with the requisite pricey resort. The reason for their arrival was quickly clear.

Lighting streaked through a cloudless sky and on the Island sole cliff floated the dark robed figure of Daolon Wong, Dark Chi Wizard and professional pain in the good guy's buts.

The resort was quickly becoming a chaotic mess as Wong's spell took effect. Following the ritual he had pieced together from the Demon Archive, Da Vinci Code style, Wong named the Six Realms of Desire and with each name uttered the surrounding world twisted more.

At the shouted Name of DEVA the sea began to glow as thousands of alien stars danced across the water's surface. At the name of ASURA wraiths made of smoke with eyes of blood rose from the beach's sand and clawed at each other, blind in their fury. At the name of PRETA the perfectly manicured lawns and turf of the Resort was torn apart as zombies clawed out of the dirt moaning and howling. At the name of TIRYAG-YONI several of the resorts guest started screaming and changing, fur covering their bodies, nails growing into claws and teeth becoming fangs.

Jade hoped _that_ effect wore off when Wong's spell was stopped otherwise the unlucky holiday goers where going to be in trouble. She noticed that not all the people had been turned into beasts, some remained human but there chances didn't look good with Were-beasts on one side and Zombies on the other.

Wong hadn't invoked the final realm of Naraka yet and the plan was to stop him before he did. As Uncle had explained on the way over Wong had essentially turned this slice of paradise into a voodoo doll of cosmic proportions, when he manifested an embodiment of Naraka he would use the massive Dark Chi bomb that he had converted The Demon Archive into to break open the prison realm unleashing a billion pissed off bad guys into the wider world.

Uncle assessed the situation and spoke quickly.

"Aiiyaah! Daolon Wong is invoking dark forces indeed. Jaaackie! You must stop him before he completes ritual. Head straight to centre of dark magic and use potion that Uncle provided to counteract spell. Uncle and Tohru will try to contain the energies that Wong has unleashed."

"But Uncle the civilians are trapped. We must - "

Captain Black chimed in.

"No worries Jackie, Section 13 will get the bystanders out of harm's way. Alright troops, its go time."

Jade grinned. This was she lived for, to watch and participate as the heroes fought the monsters and took their lunch money. She was _so_ going to be Head of Section 13 one day, Uncle could say Magic must defeat Magic all he liked but secret agents vs demons never got old.

Things progressed as they were should with Jackie making his way across the warped landscape beating back wraiths, zombies and beasts with kung-fu acrobatics and the odd shout Sorry and Bad Day, Bad Day. Jade followed in his wake slipping through the chaos mostly unnoticed.

In the distance she saw Captain Black and a couple of Section 13 agents fighting Zombies as they lead the still human civilians to safety. Huh, one of the agents a pig-tailed blonde woman, had gotten a chainsaw from somewhere and was doing serious damage to the undead. Maybe Jade could see about having her join the J-Team, the group could certainly use more female talent.

Jackie had reached the clifftop where Wong was working his mojo. The Demon Archive floated above the ground the center of minature -whirlwind, the books pages dripping blood like an open wound and in the air above Wong something _dark_ was taking shape.

On time the Dark Chi Wizard noticed Jackie.

" _You_! VERMIN! Still alive, what does it take to remove you from my path? – No wait, this is perfect I was planning to hunt down your kin to exact my revenge for imprisoning me in that cancerous parody of a timeline upon them."

"But like moths to the flame you could not help but come to witness the ascension of Daolon Wong! Once I stand among the Gods your suffering will be _legend_. The Demon Sorcerers themselves will shudder at your fate!."

Wong had gotten even crazier after getting back to their time, apparently things hadn't been working out for him in the alternate past Jackie had left him stranded in.

Wong started hurling magic blasts at Jackie, drawing on the raw power let loose by the ritual to strike at her uncle. Jade circled towards the Demon Archive pointedly not looking at the dark sphere of Naraka that was forming above the ritual. In the background Wong was monologuing.

"Your struggles are pointless Chan, soon I will tear a wound into the very fabric of the cosmos from which the dammed of Naraka may escape their imprisonment. And as creation bends to their whims I will be raised to new heights, my power restored by their gratitude."

Jade rolled her eyes, typical Daolon Wong making deals with bigger bad's to get power. The old wizard never had Shendu's thirst for revenge or Tarukdo's ambition of conquest instead obsessing over magical power.

Honestly it would have been kind of sad if the guy wasn't trying to kill her uncle and about the crack open hell. Jade grinned as she saw an opening. In his efforts to destroy Jackie Wong had moved away from the Demon Archive.

' _Leaving the cornerstone of your plot unguarded Wong? Sloppy. If only some young intrepid heroine was waiting in the wings to save the day, oh wait she is!'_

Jade threw herself across the clifftop and grabbed the Demon Archive, the book was hot and sticky to the touch the phantom blood leaking from its pages gluing itself to her fingers. With a wrench Jade tore the book from its invisible moorings and ran to the cliff edge.

Wong's spell needed the Demon Archive/Dark Chi Bomb to blow open Naraka. But in Jade's experience good and bad mojo tended to counterbalance each other and Wong had summoned representations of all the Six Realms for this ritual including the domain of the Deva's which was like Heaven. You didn't get much better than that.

Wong had noticed her grab and was screaming curses and threats, the darkness in the sky was thrashing and Jade threw the Demon Archive into the sea of stars.

Jade had time to notice that the blood from the Demon Archive remained on her hands and had stretched into crimson strings that connected her to the cursed book, then she was yanked by those crimson threads off the cliff into the waiting water. Her world was consumed by light, motion and impossible colors.

The last sound she heard before she slipped away was the sound of waves and a voice very much like her own laughing.


	2. Chapter 1: Cabin Girl

**I don't own Jackie Chan Adventures or One Piece. This chapter has been Co-written by Eduard Kassel,**

 **Chapter 1: Cabin Girl**

 _"One question haunts and hurts, too much, too much to mention. Was I only seeking good or just seeking attention? Is that all good deeds are when looked at with an ice cold eye?"_  
\- Elephaba, The Wicked Musical

There is a sensation people can experience. A feeling of falling and impact, even while lying flat on their back. The sensation is unpleasant not only for the moment of vertigo and surprise as the body convulses as if it has just impacted; but for the rational part of the mind objecting that such a sensation should not have been felt.

One could say in such circumstances the mind is at odds with the reality of the world around it.

It was a far more potent version of this sensation that brought Jade Chan back to awareness. Unfortunately the wide eyed jerking in reaction sent her tumbling and falling to the floor for real.

Which really only confused her waking mind even more.

Jade's mind cleared to the sound of waves, the rolling motion of a boat and the smell of unwashed people. She cracked open her eyes and the first thing she saw was a wooden floor of interlocking planks that her nose was pressed against.

Looking around, she was lying under a hammock, in a bare wooden room that had several other such swinging beds.

Where was she, she wondered.

The ship, duh was the answer.

Wait ship?

At times when one is woken from a dream there can be moments in which one remembers the dream so clearly that on waking they still expects to be in the reality of the dream. Looking around for the dream person one was with, or perhaps still in terror of the nightmare horror.

Jade now saw two dream lives flood in.

Barefoot she ran finding the stairs because she knew where they were. She rushed between two smelly hairy men, who objected but only shouted. She practically slammed herself against a railing, having to see what world was real.

The ocean stretched before her, the sight smell, sound, and feel of the spray of the vast expanse with the sunrise ending buffeting her.

One felt like a dream, but looking up to see the top hatted jolly roger flying from the mast, the dream seemed to be the real one?

For the second time in to long Jade fainted as the thoughts she had just been outrunning caught up with her.

The memories were like bandages wrapped around a closed wound, not of her current self but present, their weight could be felt on her soul and their texture could be guessed.  
Without the barriers of a conscious mind the foreign memories fell like stone's into the pond of Jade's mind and suddenly _she knew, she was –_

 _She was born in a kingdom called Kano. Old in power, and rich in tradition along with bounty. A kingdom famed in West Blue._

 _None of which could be said for her family. What interest they may have once had was in the past and all people of note generations ago having crossed the seas in pursuit of dreams. Like the Happou._

 _The public secret and to some like her parents shame of a proud nation. The greatest Pirate Fleet to ever exist. Others had risen higher but none has lasted longer._

 _Once the protectors of their native lands shores as privateers the World Government had meant an official exile of sorts. But too many, their tales as and present were a pride of Kano._

 _Jade had been dragged off by her ear from a storyteller circle for booing when the local storyteller reached his climax of the so called 'Hero' breaking the drill of the great Don Chinjao._

 _XXX_

 _Her parent were clerks of a great merchant house. It went back three generations and she was to be the fourth._

 _It was very respectable, and they emphasized safe. Even a merchant House took care of its people, and even in Kano's shores people could be lost to the cracks of society or swept away in events._

 _Let your roots be planted deep to stand against the storm._

 _XXX_

 _They knew she didn't want that. Had been unable to understand it when she intercepted a Happoiu officer on an unofficial but well known visit. To her parents later relief the man had taken her asking to join the great crew as something of a joke and sent her on her way with a bag of sweets and a drink._

 _They had suggested perhaps marine training in the future._

 _She heard them behind closed doors hoping unlike her martial arts class, it would scare her straight. But they delayed._

 _Always when she was older._

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 _It was a kindness to take her to Gonzo. A scandal had taken up her mothers time and now Jade was to accompany a key shareholder in their house to a meeting to soothe troubled allies. Her mother reasoned: well a bit of adventure even so tame as another port, would ease their daughter's ever sour wanderlust._

 _Of course she had slipped her minders. Never intending to watch and learn something of the family trade._

 _She had found it quite by accident. A smuggler port in the city, hardly as impressive as the name sounded. And a pirate ship readying to sail._

 _The two words were spoken enough she had no doubt._

 _Grand Line._

 _Grand Line._

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 _She left only a note with three words._

 _"Gone to sea."_

 _No love, or well wishes. No gratitude for efforts made. She had left three words and taken what money she had to buy what she would need; and stowed away to destiny before the sunset._

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 _Piracy was not quite as expected. While there was not the fearful return to parent's option. Everything but the clothes off her back was quickly taken. Her tenth birthday gold bracelets quickly torn away by the Captain as a fee._

 _Then it was nose to the task. And the next. And the next._

 _And no need for port, she had not earned leave. And when she did she was always watched._

 _Her sea clothes while well selected from reading up on the topic became frayed as the days stretched by. A rope belt helped her pants not fall down as she lost weight. She was the first to rise and last to sleep._

 _It pleased the captain that she rarely bathed, calling it a defence of her virtue amidst the untoward characters._

 _It earned her the nickname Stinky._

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 _But she was not dreaming of home. Because when she did raise her head, it was always a new horizon. Because no longer was she standing still, whatever destiny was out there she was finally moving toward it._

 _And cruel and pathetic though they were they had no interest in taking her dream._

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 _The Top Hat pirates were in a bad way._

 _Jade wasn't sure if it was marines or another crew. But that last battle had cost them Top Hat Tom, their captain. Tommy Knuckle the first mate thought he was the natural to fill in. But the thug while strong had no charisma or respect amongst the crew despite leading them out of that snafu._

 _Jade was keeping her head down, enjoying the fact no one was bothering to give her orders. But with nothing to her name but fraying clothes maybe it was time to jump ship?_

 _This was Grand line there would be other pirates along._

 _Well none of these guys were in a hurry to start the big fight that would be needed to settle the issue. So for the moment Jade had decided to put off plotting and go to bed at a reasonable hour in the hopes of not waking until after the sunrise._

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 _And that lady's gentlemen, kids, and assorted beings of all ages; concludes our other self life's recap._

 _Oh, so many bad days._

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The bar was a fine waterhole for the island's assorted scum, which was why marine intelligence officer Marcus Isca often found his way here. In his mind he was both doing his duty and making himself available for contact from the other side of the legal fence.

Marcus was not in the grand scheme a particularly evil man, for all that he was corrupt he had took money from criminals to look the other way true but only in cases where the criminals had enough resources that one marine wouldn't be able to stop them.  
Why should he cut into his profit margins when it would accomplish nothing?

Whatever the World Government liked to say it was the criminals that had the real power from the Yonko who held court in the New World to the Seven Warlords who killed beneath the banner of Justice.

Marcus had believed differently once but the fire of belief in the idea of Justice from on high had gone out with the end of Z's Neo-Marine crusade, the best and brightest of the Marines led by a living legend had charged into the New World hoping to take advantage of the chaos caused by the Dragon Emperor's emergence and subsequent breaking of the Big Mum Pirates.

They had deserted the core, broken their oaths but no one could doubt that they acted in the name of justice, and it was widely held that when they won in the New World their actions would be forgotten. But that hadn't happened, the Neo-Marines had been crushed by the Yonko, routed and broken, then the World Government had loosed the Seven Warlords on them.

After all they had broken their oaths, deserted in name if not spirit, they were no different than the pirates they once hunted. In the aftermath of that bloody mess Marcus had come to realization that faith in Justice was a nice story but that was all was, a story.

In an attempt to dispel his dark mood he drained his tankard. The beer was hot and raw going down but it helped. Marcus was just starting to unwind when the bar's door opened and a man with dark hair and darker eyes walked in, Marcus froze.

The man was known to him, from the tattooed 7 on his cheek to the custom short sword belted at his side. The mysterious Mr 7 had a degree of clout among the criminal element that was mildly terrifying, taken in combination with his skill as a fighter he rated highly on the danger scale.

Which made the fact that he looked like he had been dragged through a burning butcher shop all the more surprising. Blood stained his clothes and there was stiffness to his movements that Marcus had never seen before.

Mr 7 slipped down next to Marcus and signaled the barman for a drink. Marcus asked the obvious question.

"What happened to you?"

Mr 7 raised an eyebrow and spoke, his voice harsh and commanding.

"Sea King. Small one, wouldn't have usually have gone for a ship like ours but something took a bite out of it but didn't finish the job leaving the damn thing mad with pain. It cracked the hull, tore the sails and splintered the mast before I managed to kill it. We were lucky to get to port with the ship as damaged as it was."

Marcus whistled softy and shook his head in sympathy.

"I am sorry to hear that, I guess I should put in a word with the commander, if there something big enough to take a bite out of sea king in the area then he should be warned. I suppose me having heard of it from a fisherman is believable, maybe if ..."

"Cut the self serving routine you corrupt son of a bitch. You know I honour my deals and pay well for good information. You also know that I don't take kindly to being misled and am very hard to kill. Yes?"

"Yes. I hear you."

"Good, now have there been any ships passing through port that caught your eye? Good quality ocean goers, none of those rich people owned tubs that look good on the water but can't handle worth a dam."

Marcus ran through the ships both pirate and commercial that had passed by, one crew of pirates stood out, they had lost their captain recently and replacement was a miser who had not been forthcoming with Marcus's hush money.

If anyone deserved a visit from Mr 7 it was the Top Hat Pirates.

"Now that you mention it, one such ship comes to mind ..."

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It had been a day since she woke up in another world, stuck in a life that was like something out a very strange action movie and Jade was starting to appreciate just how much trouble she was in.

Her situation was if anything worse than her previous worst experience every aka the Demon World mess. Because while this world didn't appear to be ruled by psychotic demons she was on her own.

She was separated from her family, from anyone she knew or who could be relied on to help. She was in another world, surrounded by criminals who would turn on her in a heartbeat. And on top of tensions were building among the crew, the new Captain hadn't impressed and now everyone was eyeing the top spot or thinking of going their own way.

Jade did not want to get caught up in a mutiny. Jumping ship next chance she got and then going in search of a way out of this crazy dimension seemed the best bet.

"Ship ho!" the lookout's voice boomed. Suddenly the deck was full as the crew took notice. A chance to loot would hardly be passed up, they were pirates after all.

Captain in name Tommy Knuckle hurried on deck and started barking orders, turning the ship around and bringing them towards the newly sighted prey.

The narrative was not unfamiliar to Jade from her other self's memories. They would pull alongside, threaten the crew into submission, maybe roughing up any bodyguards on board.

That wasn't what happened this time, as the Top Hat's pulled alongside the small tub, someone leapt from the other ship onto the Pirate's deck. A man with the number 7 tattooed on his cheek and a sword at his side. As the Top Hat's stared in shock or pulled weapons Jade slipped back into the shadows.

The guy was an obvious bad-ass and it wasn't like she owned these guys anything. The stranger was speaking.

"Well I'll be this is a fine ship you lot have here, not to old, good condition sails and rigging. I'll be taking it."

The confidence in his voice confirmed Jade's suspicions that the Top Hat's were in for a bad day. Tommy Knuckle stepped forward, his face red with anger and muscles flexing.

"Now see here you – Gah!"

The newcomer had struck in a flash, drawing his sword and cutting down Knuckle before he could finish a sentence. To his left and right, lines from the other ship were thrown around railings, figures were climbing the lines. They were being boarded.

Oh yeah Jade thought as she watched the events unfold, the Top Hats were doomed. The man with a 7 on his face spoke again and the casual menace in his voice cut the air.

"But first I'll need to take out the trash. Okay lads and ladies you know what to do. Take this ship."

And the fighting started. The enemy crew were skilled and fresh while the Top Hats were shaken and off balance. Even so the fight might have been closer if not for the tattooed man, who was obviously on another level. Where he went the Top Hat's fell and he wasn't even breaking a sweat.

It was bluntly clear the crew were not a threat to him. His words made it apparent that he had noticed as well.

"Honestly you idiots are too pathetic to be sailing these waters. Sooner or later someone stronger was going to come along and crush you as they sailed onto power just like I am doing right now."

Jade listened and watched from the shadows, she was small and had her other self memories of the ships layout to call upon. Waiting out the invaders wouldn't be impossible. When the dust settled she could grab a lifeboat and make a run for it or just keep hidden until these guys made port.

But something about the marked man drew her attention. Her other self and if she was being honest her current self wanted adventure on a visceral level and she did need resources to get back to her old world, maybe ...

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The fight eventually concluded the only way it ever could. Mr 7 wiped the blood off his blade and snorted in disgust at the so called Top Hat Pirates.

"Bah weaklings the lot of them, I didn't even get a proper workout. Round up the lot of these morons and throw them overboard."

As his crew moved to obey Mr 7 ran a critical eye over his new ship. No major damage had been done during the boarding and ensuing battle. As the crew bound and threw the defeated pirates over the side a small figure strode out of the shadows.

A little girl, thin with dark short cut hair and brown eyes. Confident too or at-least putting on a good act. The rest of the crew turned to look but no one moved to stop her as she walked right up to Mr 7.

"Well it seems we have a stowaway, I guess that your size made it easier to hide but why come out now?"

"I want to offer my allegiance." the kid, presumably a Cabin girl, unless that marine had missed the Top Hat's being slavers, explained.

Mr 7 raised an eyebrow.

"Oh so you skulk in the shadows while your crew fights and then sign on with the winners. My crew let alone the organisation's got no need for cowards or little kids."

"Coward? I think you mean smart, I could see you were stronger than the others from the moment you came aboard. There's nothing to be gained by picking a fight you can't win. As for my age, I'm young that just means that I have time to grow.

And I'm not offering my allegiance because you won, I could just stay hidden until you made port next and slipped away under cover of darkness if my skin was the only thing that mattered to me."

The kid, no the young pirate's voice was calm, but Mr 7 noticed the trickle of sweat on her brow and the tense stance. Mr 7 decided to humour the girl's brazen audacity.

"Okay I'll bite why offer it then?"

"Before you said you were sailing a course for power right? I want power and you seem the best way to get it."

The laugh slipped out before Mr. 7 cared to stop it.

"Hah! Out of this waste of space crew figures it would be the little cabin girl that was the most impressive. Very well I'll take you on. "

Then as the girls eyes widened in relief and her tension evaporate he lashed out with a kick driving her bodily into a nearby railing. The girl's breath hissed between her teeth and glared in his direction.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"A reminder little girl, don't get cocky. Now get to work cleaning up below decks, our chef will be arriving soon and when he gets here everything better be neat and tidy or it's your hide, clear?"

"Yes."

"Yes what, cabin girl?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, now hop to it."

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It was two weeks since Jade had signed on with the invading pirate crew and she was starting to regret her decision.

"Move your scrawny behind brat, the boys are getting hungry." The 7's Quartermaster, an overly muscled man with a loud voice snarled.

He shoved the bag of foul smelling herbs and spices into her arms. The bag was nearly bigger than her entire body but Jade bit down the acidic retort forming and acknowledged the order.

"Yes, Quartermaster."

"Oh and Mr 7 wants you on deck at 3 bells, best not be late."

"And you couldn't have said that earlier?" Jade hissed under her breath careful to keep her outrage off her face.

Mr 7 had taken to having irregular matches with Jade and failing to arrive on time ergo annoying the guy who had wiped the floor with a entire crew of pirates was something she really wanted to avoid.

If this whole nightmare experience had given her anything it was an appreciation of just how good a deal she had in her old life. Never again would she complain about doing chores around Uncle's shop or having to clean her room.

Ever since she had joined Mr 7's crew she had been pushed to the breaking point by the endless tasks she was assigned. Clean the deck, carry the food, trim the rigging, relay this message, stand watch and on and on. She ached in ways that she didn't think you could ache, and had a number of quite ugly bruises as a result of her tendency to make sarcastic commentary.

Turns out unlike Saturday morning cartoons or swash buckling movies, pirates didn't exercise restraint just because you were a child. Though her own martial arts and complete willingness to be subtle in her revenge ensured that most didn't try to lay a hand on her twice.

Even as she hurried through the ships hold carrying the spices and herbs the cook had requested Jade contemplated her future match. She wasn't exactly in top shape, what with the meagre rations and exhaustion but she had done this run-around a few times now and she thought Mr. 7's style was beginning to make sense.

Who knew maybe thinks would go better this time.

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Jade's face collided with the decking and she lay where she had fallen, gasping for breath and biting back tears. Mr. 7 stood over her face impassive as he sheathed his sword, at-least he had used the blunt side of the blade.

"You put up a good fight for a little kid, I'm guessing you had some formal training, but your style is based on countering other people who are playing by the same rule book. Hand to hand no weapons, am I right?"

Jade nodded, that last pommel strike to the gut made breathing difficult. Partly it was a self-interest angle, contradicting Mr 7 when the man had shown a very real willingness to injure her didn't seem wise and partly it was true. Jackie's instruction in martial arts had been more formal stances and motions than live combat.

Not that Mr 7's sword usage made him in any way able to fight on Jackie's level. If her uncle were here the pirate wouldn't know what hit him. Mr 7 was speaking again Jade made a conscious effort to focus on his words rather than her developing bruises.

"Now that I have a feel for what you can do, we can move forward. If you're serious about getting stronger then you either need a lot more hands on experience or you need to learn weapon skills. Preferably both."

Jade winced, learning how to shoot a gun or wield a sword might have, okay would defiantly have interested her before she landed in Pirate Land but seeing the way the crew used those tools had changed that. The sense of lethality present made the whole idea seem deeply unpleasant.

She didn't want to shoot or cut people, she didn't want to hurt someone by accident or worse by desperate intention.

"I'll take the experience root sir."

Mr 7 rolled his eyes, apparently not impressed.

"Stubborn little thing aren't you, let me guess you put what you feel was considerable time and effort into mastering those skills and now that you don't want to learn something new because doing so makes all the effort worthless? "

Jade disagreed with that assessment on multiple levels. But Mr 7 was still talking.

"Pride's got its place on the Sea's, but it's out of place in a cabin girl. Well if you insist on learning the hard way then who am I to stop you. Some of the crew will fight you regular so you can build up the experience needed. I warn you now they will be armed and they won't pull their punches. The price of pride is living with the consequences of that pride, remember that cabin girl."

Jade groaned, then bit her lip, took a deep breath and pulled herself to her feet. It was as much an answer as an action. She would endure.

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"You want me to rob people? " Jade asked incredulously.

Mr 7 quirked an eyebrow but apparently considered her lack of sir and tone minor enough a slip to be forgiven.

"To be specific I want you to gather 50,000 berri's before we leave port. Consider this your first real assignment as a member of my crew, everything before now was just prep. If you get the money and get back the ship before we leave then you get to stay on. If you don't get the money in time, don't bother coming back you won't be welcomed."

"Haven't I proven that I can be useful? Why a test of how good a thief I am when you know my skills in the butt kicking department are above standard." Jade demanded.

"Because big talk and being able to throw a punch don't say all that much about character and smarts. If you have the brain you make out to then you will get the money, if you have the drive to stay the course then you won't hesitate or slip away once you're out of my sight."

Mr 7 let forward and met Jade's gaze.

"But if you aren't as good as you think or are having doubts then it isn't worth the time to train you further. Now get to work we leave at sun-set."

It was tempting choice, Jade wanted to go home true, wanted out of this crazy world and Mr 7 looked like the most direct path to the resources to do that. But Jade would be lying if she said she was comfortable among criminals and pirates. Maybe she should just take this opportunity to slip away, try and find some other way.

But how long would that take? This island was small and out of the way. How long would she have to wait here until another chance like Mr 7's organisation came along? Jade was used to living in the moment, rushing from one disaster/adventure to the next the prospect of waiting spirits only knew how long until a chance came along was not something she was comfortable with.

And it wasn't like this world was safe what with the Pirates and sea monsters running around, better to stick with the devil she knew rather than risk another roll of fate's dice. Her choice made Jade went to work.

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"Ostrich Egg's. Get your fresh Ostrich Egg's here!"

The market place wasn't anything special, Jade had seen way more exotic locales on her adventures with Jackie but it would do. It was an nice day for theft, sunny skies and flowers in bloom, apparently on this Island was in summer.

Jade carefully positioned herself in a corner of the market where she couldn't be seen by to many people. After all unless she got absurdly lucky she would need to make multiple thefts to get the money Mr 7 had requested.

Jade screwed up her face and started to mock cry, she staggered about a little giving the appearance of a scared kid that didn't know how to stand still but didn't want to move. In Jade's experience adults were very willing to think young met helpless and playing the part of a kid separated from her parents would let her get close and give her a getaway option.

Jade hated being seen as helpless, the idea that she couldn't look after herself always made her angry. And taking advantage of kindness left a bad taste in her mouth but needs must. People saw what they wanted to, a child being reduced to tears and needing adult supervision fitted the world view of grownups.

It didn't take long for an adult to come over and see what the fuss was about. A woman, richly dressed with a wig, powdered face bent down and spoke to Jade.

"Oh sweetie what's the matter?"

Jade really did hate being talked to like that. Jackie objected to her being in danger but he never treated her like a lost pet. Well in for a penny.

"I can't find my daddy!" Jade did a reasonable impersonation, face screwed up, words simple and tone of panic firmly in place.

"Oh honey, well why don't you come with me and I'm sure we'll find him soon okay."

The woman pulled her along as they moved towards the markets centre where the larger crowds where.

Slipping the woman's purse out open while she pinned to the ladies side was easy enough. And just like that Jade had pick-pocketed her first mark. Time to make a getaway before her luck ran out.

"DAD!" Jade mock shouted, pointing at random into the crowd and ran off the coins clinking in her pocket.

One down.

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It was a few hours into her task and Jade was starting to chafe at the role she had decided to play. Acting like a scared kid, who needed to be spoken to gently and led by the hand irked her dignity and taking advantage of kindness made her insides twist unpleasantly.

She knew Tohru would disapprove. Uncle would be all AIYAAH and Jackie would give her some wisdom about treating others like she wanted to be treated.

God she just wanted to hear their voices again so much it hurt. Not so fake tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes and she had to fight the urge to curl up in a corner and shake as the enormity of her situation hit her.

But Jade Chan was not the sort to let herself curl up and admit defeat. Taking a steadying breath she put one foot in-front of the other.

'Get a hold of yourself Jade, you need to do this if you want to see them again. If you don't like playing things this way then don't.'

But how else could she play things? The most obvious solution, asking herself what Jackie or Uncle would do in this situation really didn't help. But she did know someone whose example she could follow.

Viper.

What would Viper do in this situation? Easy answer. Use ninja skills to break in and rob a place.

The ideal appealed to Jade, it wasn't like there was a shortage of houses and or mansions on this Island. And while it was still theft it didn't have the humiliating sting of her current approach.

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House No. 1

"Who the hell has guard geese?!" Jade yelled dodging a striking beak and lashing wing.

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House No. 2

"Okay that is just _wrong_." Jade commented looking at bizarre painting in which a woman had a face growing out of her enlarged stomach.

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Jade upended her haul of coins on the desk in front of Mr. 7. The disks of metal clinked as they landed the sound echoing through the Captain's cabin.

"There everything you asked, do I pass?"

She actually had more than he had originally asked for. Not by much, as she hadn't wanted to risk everything by cutting her time limit to close. But by the same token she had wanted to do more than the minimum requirement.

This was meant to prove she had what it took to advance in a organisation of crooks. Mr 7 sorted through the coins and added jewelry with a professional eye, unhurried in his movements. Once he was satisfied he looked up at her and there was something like approval in his eyes.

"Not bad, not bad at all. I guess just might have the right stuff inside to survive here. Or at least not fall apart at the threshold. Welcome to Baroque Works."


End file.
